Remember What? Ray’s Chapel Youth Hold Back To School Bash
September 7, 2008
The youth at Ray’s Chapel Baptist Church held a Youth Back to School Fellowship Saturday night.
The church begins a new church year today, and grades six to college got together last night to kick off the new church year.
The youth played volleyball, raced tricycles and ate. Bro. Nathan Brown, pastor at Ray’s Chapel, gave a devotion with the theme “Remember”, and each youth received a tshirt with the word “Remember”. When someone asks them “Remember what?”, they learned to say “Remember Jesus loves you and has a special plan for your life”.
Ray’s Chapel Baptist Church is located in the Bogia community.
For a photo gallery from the event, click here.
Have an event at your church? Let us know about it by emailing news@northescambia.com
Pictured above: Ray’s Chapel Baptist Church youth held a back to school bash Saturday night. Pictured below: They also had a little three-wheel-action on tricycles. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com.
Molino: Registration For Fall Ball Today
September 6, 2008
Signup for Molino Fall Ball will be held today from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Molino Ballpark.
For more information, call Wayne Wilson at (850) 698-7014. This is only for t-ball ages, coach pitch and minor baseball.
Relay For Life Planning Underway
September 6, 2008
Century Relay for Life may be many months away, but the planning for the event began this week.
Organizers met late this week to start the planning for the Relay for Life event that will take place the last week of April, 2009. Leadership roles were discussed and appointments will be made in the near future.
Relay for Life is an organization totally run by volunteers that promotes awareness of cancer and raises money to help fight for a cure. Paula Jernigan, Century chairperson and B.J. Davis (pictured left), director of marketing, opened the meeting by allowing attendees to share how cancer had personally touched their lives.
Many of those in attendance at the meeting spoke from the heart on the importance of this event and how they want to increase the number of volunteers. The message at the meeting was to bring in as many volunteers as possible and work hard for a cure. Davis passionately said that he wants everyone “bleeding purple” in the community.
Purple colored favors were also handed out to each one who attended. Purple is the color identifying the Relay for Life organization.
For more information on Relay for Life, visit www.cancer.org.
Pictured top: Lisa Moretz, Sharon Scott and Nikki Faktor attended a Century Relay for Life committee rally at Carver/Century K-8 School. NorthEscambia.com photos by Heather Leonard.
Catholic Downs Northview Chiefs In Season Opener
September 6, 2008
A young Northview High School team lost their season opener 48-0 Friday night at Pensacola Catholic High School.
The Crusaders jumped on the board with 8:11 to go in the first with an Evan Smith run to paydirt, ending an eight play drive. The Chiefs blocked the kick, and Catholic was on the board 6-0.
Then with 4:50 left in the first quarter, Catholic added another touchdown on a 20 yard run by Marquis Sumier. Add in a kick, and Catholic was up 13-0.
Then things got dark…seriously dark when the stadium lights failed with 2:19 to go in the first quarter (pictured left, click to enlarge). About 20 minutes later, the lights were back on. About a minute after that, Crusaders quarterback Shaun White scored on a five yard run into the endzone. The kick was good, and the score was 20-0 with 1:18 in the first.
With about a minute left in the first quarter, Catholic scored again; this time on a 30 yard fumble return by Johnathon Melton. At the end of the first quarter, Catholic was up 27-0.
The second quarter was also dominated by the Crusaders, with a 15 yard pass to Alex Bast for another half dozen points. The kick was good, and Catholic was up 34-0 with 4:56 left in the half.
With 1:23 to go in the first half of play in Pensacola, Catholic score again on a 20 yard dash by Adrian Smiley. A kick through the uprights, and Catholic led 41-0 at halftime.
The Chiefs held their own in the third quarter, with the quarter ending scoreless for both teams.
In the fourth, an 18 yard run by La’Gerrald White and a good kick set the final score at 48-0.
“Obviously, I am very disappointed in the way we played,” Chiefs Head Coach Cody Keene told NorthEscambia.com after the game. “They have a fine football team. Our hats off to them, and we congratulate them on a great victory.
“We are not as bad as we played. We’ve just got a lot of work to do to get better,” Keene said. “We’ve got to stick together and work to get better. We are real young, but we are not as bad as we played.”
Shakel Holmes picked up 18 yards on the night on three carries, and Ka’ Daris Grice had four yards on four carries for the Chiefs.
Brandon Sheets was three of nine in passing for 22 yards. Austin Arrington had 18 yards for Northview on one reception. Josh Dorriety and Aaron Chancery picked up two yards each on receptions for NHS.
On the defensive side, Ka ‘Daris Grice, Luke Killam, Brian Long and Austin Reid had eight tackles each against Catholic. Shakel Holmes and Cole Gandy had seven tackles each.
Austin Reid had an average 38 yeard per punt for NHS.
Northview will be on the road again next week against Chipley, and they will be at home the following week against Walton County. The first district game for the Chiefs is September 26 on the road against Holmes County.
For a complete NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from the game, including the big plays, the band and the cheerleaders, click here.
For video highlights from the game, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Video: Northview vs. Catholic
September 6, 2008
The Northview Chiefs opened their season at Pensacola Catholic High School Friday night. This video has game play highlights, plus a look at the cheerleaders and the band. Click the video to play.
Flomaton Beats Red Level 38-14
September 6, 2008
The Flomaton Hurricanes traveled to Red Level Friday night in their first regional game.
Red Level was out for revenge from last year’s game but Flomaton was ready and held their ground.
The Canes scored early in the first quarter . By halftime the Cane’s had 24 points on the board to the Tigers 8.
The Canes came out in the second half and scored another 14 points for a final score of 38-14 . The Cane’s are now 2-0 overall and 1-0 in the region.
Southern Choctaw travels to Flomaton next week as the Canes try to improve their record to 3-0.
For more photos from the game, click here.
For the complete photo gallery go to www.mikenewtonphotography.zenfolio.com.
Pictured above: Scenes from Friday night’s Flomaton 38-14 victory over Red Level. Submitted photos by Mike Newton for NorthEscambia.com.
NHS Tribal Beat: Playing With Fire
September 5, 2008
The Northview High School Band has a hot halftime show planned for tonight’s football season opener at Catholic High School in Pensacola.
Part of the Tribal Beat’s halftime show will include majorettes Kolbi Cobb, Haley Simpson and Caitlyn Brown twirling flaming batons.
The three young ladies are back for another year as Northview’s majorettes.
Pictured above: (L-R) Kolbi Cobb, Haley Simpson and Caitlyn Brown practice their flame twirling earlier this week at Northview High School. Pictured bottom (top to bottom, scroll down to see all three photos) Northview majorettes Kolbi Cobb, Haley Simpson and Caitlyn Brown. NorthEscambia.com photos.
Top County Leaders Explain Local Impact Of Volunteer Fire Dept. Consolidation
September 5, 2008
The unification of Escambia County’s volunteer fire departments is on schedule to be completed by October 1, and county officials offered assurances Thursday night that departments in North Escambia would continue their long standing traditions of service.
“The entire fire unification process is not about someone coming in and taking charge,” Mike Hardin, the county’s public safety bureau chief, told the Walnut Hill Ruritan Club Thursday night. “Escambia County is going to have volunteer fire departments for a very long time.”
The volunteer fire system and services in the county are very healthy,” County Fire Chief Ken Perkins told the Ruritan Club.
“It is absolutely impossible to replace the volunteer system in this county,” Perkins said, adding that the county could never afford it.
Each of the county’s volunteer fire departments will maintain its board of directors and will operate under its own district chief chosen by that board.
“As much as we can, we want to keep the volunteer system healthy and running like it is now,” Perkins said.
“Career firefighters are not coming to Walnut Hill,” he said, as long as the volunteer department continues its excellent record of responding to calls. “Walnut Hill will continue to operate like it has before.” The same applies to the other departments in North Escambia, Perkins said.
“In no way, shape or form is Escambia County trying to come in and take over the Walnut Hill Volunteer Fire Department,” he told the Ruritan Club. The Ruritan Club has a long-standing relationship with the fire department, with the club providing the funds to start Walnut Hill’s fire department many years ago.
The fire department unification plan comes with a better organizational structure, a more standardized administration procedure, centralized vehicle maintenance, a centralized equipment warehouse and other combined services that should save the county a lot of money, Perkins said.
The unification also comes with tougher standards for volunteer firefighters, including dozens of hours of training and the ability to pass a doctor’s physical exam at the county’s expense. The requirements also specify that a firefighter will hold a high school diploma or a GED certificate. Many Walnut Hill firefighters belong to the Mennonite Church, and their school only goes through the tenth grade. The high school diploma requirement would have disqualified many Walnut Hill firefighters since their Mennonite members never obtain that high school diploma.
“Anyone that is here as a volunteer on September 30 of this year will be grandfathered in,” Perkins said. “They will be exempt from the requirements and new qualifications for three years.”
“We realized the high school diplomas were an issue, and that is why they are exempt for three years,” he said. “They can promote as high as they can get in those three years without meeting the new requirements.”
The volunteer not meeting the requirements will be allowed to advance in rank during the three year period. But they would no longer be able to advance in rank after the three year exemption period unless they met all requirements of the advanced position.
However, after October 1, no one will be consider a firefighter in Escambia County unless they have received certification as at least a Firefighter I from the Florida State Fire Marshal. After October 1, exemption letters that are commonly issued will no longer be accepted in Escambia County.
Under the new unified fire department plan, the current department chief would be titled a “district chief” in charge of a current station such as McDavid or Molino.
“There has been some talk, some discussion, about combining two or more stations up here (in North Escambia) under on chief, but that is more than is in this current plan,” Perkins said.
The unification plans calls for a specific organization structure based upon rank, regardless of whether the person hold that rank is a volunteer or paid firefighter.
“Fire knows no difference between a paid firefighter and a volunteer firefighter,” Perkins said.
Assistant County Fire Chief Robbie Whitfield and County Administrator Bob McLaughlin also attended the Thursday night meeting at the Walnut Hill Ruritan Club.
Pictured top: McDavid Volunteer Fire Department Engine 912 at the scene of a recent accident on Highway 29. Pictured middle: Escambia County Fire Chief Ken Perkins addresses the Walnut Hill Ruritan Club Thursday night. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
County Applies For Grant For Molino Library
September 5, 2008
Thursday night, the Escambia County Commission took a step toward bringing a library to Molino.
The commission voted to apply for a half million dollar grant to remodel a portion of the old Molino Elementary School into a branch library. In July, the county made an offer of $2 million to acquire the old Molino Elementary and the former Wedgewood Middle School in Penasacola. That offer was rejected by Escambia School Superintendet Jim Paul, who made a counter request of $3.3 million for both properties.
Negotiations to acquire the two pieces of property are ongoing, County Adminstrator Bob McLaughlin told NorthEscambia.com Thursday night. The county has made standing offer to allow the school board to use the county owned civic center rent free for graduation ceremonies for a number of years in exchange for the two school properties, but McLaughlin said the school board “wants cash in the hand”.
There were some issues with the property line at the old Molino school with an adjacent property owner, McLaughlin said, but a quit claim deed has been signed to alleviate that hurdle. No it’s just a matter of the two government entities agreeing on a purchase price.
The commission first applied for the half million grant from the State of Florida in March 2007. The application was ranked number two out of 23 applications in the state, but the legislature failed to provide funding for the state library program. Thursday night’s vote by the commission was to simply reapply for grant money this year.
“The library in Molino would be a very good thing for people in that area,” McLaughlin told NorthEscambia.com.
The half million grant, if awarded, would be matched by another half million from the county. The county’s portion would be from the Local Option Sales Tax. The county has already approved their portion of the funds to renovate part of the old Molino Elementary into a library. The grant, if awarded, would require the county to use the facility as a library in Molino for a minumum of 20 years.
Property Taxes Headed Down
September 5, 2008
Escambia County residents can expect to see a little lower property tax bill this year after action taken Thursday night by the county commission.
The Escambia County commission voted to cut property taxes from 8.017 mils to 6.9755 mils for the 2008-2009 fiscal year that beings October 1. On a $150,000 house, that would reduce the property tax bill from $801 to $697.
The county was required to reduce the tax under Admendment 1 passed by voters in January, but the reduction is more than the law required. Overall, the county cut the budget by $27.7 million. That includes $23 million from the property tax adjustment.
The commission’s unanimous vote Thursday night won’t become official until a second public hearing on the decrease is held on September 18.
The county approved next year’s $402 million budget on a 3-2 vote. District 5 Commissioner Kevin White and outgoing Commissioner Mike Whitehead said they felt the budget could be cut even more and voted against it.